The Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) will continue as the only entity authorized to offer online gambling in the province for the next few years.
The Government of Saskatchewan announced on Monday that it and the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) amended their Gaming Framework Agreement (GFA) to extend SIGA’s iGaming exclusivity until September 2029.
First Nations gaming operator SIGA has run Saskatchewan’s online authorized online gambling platform, PlayNow, since it launched in the province in November 2022. PlayNow is operational in several provinces using the platform, technology, and brand provided by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC).
SIGA also operates seven brick-and-mortar casinos:
- Bear Claw Casino
- Dakota Dunes Resort & Casino
- Northern Lights Casino
- Gold Eagle Casino
- Gold Horse Casino
- Living Sky Casino
- Painted Hand Casino
“Our government has built a successful gaming industry in Saskatchewan in partnership with the FSIN through good-faith negotiation and incremental change,” said Minister Responsible for Lotteries and Gaming Saskatchewan (LGS) Jeremy Harrison.
“Through the GFA and its various amendments, the gaming sector provides significant First Nations employment and supports economic development on- and off-reserve, while funding education, housing and many other priorities. Revenue-sharing arrangements agreed to in the GFA mean that both the province and First Nations in Saskatchewan have a vested interest in the success of the gaming sector.”
SIGA’s PlayNow revenue grew 38% in 2025-26
SIGA is an entirely non-profit gaming operator. Through the revenue-sharing agreement between FSIN and the province, 50% of all profits raised by SIGA’s online gaming operations are divided among the province’s First Nations and the other half of the profits go to Saskatchewan’s General Revenue Fund.
In its 2025-26 annual report, published in late June, SIGA noted that it posted record profits for the fourth year in a row. From the $418m it made in gross revenue in the 12 months that ended March 31, 2026, it returned $167m in net profit to the province.
SIGA’s 2025-26 gross revenue was 11% higher than last year’s previous record total, and its profit to the province rose 14%. PlayNow yielded more than $31m in gross gaming revenue, 23% ahead of 2024-25, and SIGA’s net iGaming revenue jumped 38% to $12.4m.
SIGA said at that time that it now has more than 59,000 registered users on the platform. In Monday’s government release, the province noted that PlayNow has been steadily growing in profitability, “despite heavy competition from illegal platforms.”
The provincial government has made roughly $70m from SIGA’s operations since it first launched.
Saskatchewan unveils gaming centre pilot project
As well as the news of the extension of SIGA’s iGaming exclusivity, the Saskatchewan government announced a new gaming centre pilot project in the province on Monday.
The approved plan will establish a gaming centre on Flying Dust First Nation that will host up to 49 slot machines as part of a much larger commercial development proposed by the First Nation that envisions a strip mall, hotel, and conference centre.
Flying Dust First Nation Chief Tyson Bear told local media it will likely take six months to construct the building.
“The project will be an important part of a new hotel development that will better serve the people of Meadow Lake and northwest Saskatchewan,” said FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron. “Importantly, the benefits of this growth will extend beyond the host community, with the First Nations’ share of gaming profits distributed equitably among Saskatchewan First Nations throughout Treaty 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 territories.”
The new slots would take SIGA’s total slot machine allocation across all of its venues to 2,619.
